When you think about it, the term "clone" itself is kind of a misnomer. After all, the point of clones are not that they're exact copies of Macs, but rather, cheap imitations. It's kind of like buying a fake Rolex on the streets of New York City -- though, let's face it, nobody is going to mistake a Psytar OpenPro for a Mac Pro, except maybe after a few drinks.

Just software doesn't a Mac make. Apple's always been about the whole widget. Complaining that other hardware can't run the Mac OS is kind of like complaining that you can't play Wii games on your PlayStation 3. It's the combination of hardware and software that make the device what it is -- or, as the old saying goes, a Mac is more than just the sum of its parts.

The truth is that most of us buy Macs not just for their superior software, but for the whole package. It's impossible to understate the importance of hardware design to Apple's success. Psytar's not about to ship anything that's even close to as pretty, thin, or lightweight as a MacBook Air, for example. There's something profoundly other about Macs -- for many of us, they're objects of craftsmanship rather than just tools. You don't need to do anything other than go into an Apple Store and see how people behave around them to get that. Then, just for contrast's sake, take a stroll down to Best Buy, and see how people treat the computers there.

That said, if there's a cheaper option, there will always be people who gravitate toward it. Given Apple's extremely litigious nature, I doubt that Psystar will be around long enough for us to find out how many takers they'd have. My guess is that there is definitely a niche market for what they're offering; let's call them the Wozniaks of the world. But for most, the barriers to entry (such as "not non-safe updates") will likely prove too high. After all, if there's one thing that most Mac users have in common, it's the fact that we want something better -- and that we're willing to pay for it.